The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Roswell, NM: Crime Maps and Statistics

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D
Property Crime Grade	D+
Other Crime Grade	D+

Which crimes are included?

$42.5 million

Cost of Crime™ for Roswell, NM

In 2025, crime will cost $1,981 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Roswell with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Roswell, NM Safe?

The D overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Roswell's combined rate is higher than the norm. Roswell sits in the 22nd percentile, ahead of 22% of cities and behind 78%. The grade covers only Roswell's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Roswell is 36.61 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northeast part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 16 in the central neighborhoods to 1 in 35 in the northeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the south parts of Roswell, NM report the most crime, about 391 cases per year. The northwest part reports the fewest, around 138 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Roswell, NM

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Roswell for 2025 is $42,534,753, about $737 per resident and $1,981 per household. That equals 2.5% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 49.8%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 38.1%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.0%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Roswell Compared to Other Cities?

Roswell, NM:	$737
Taos, NM:	$1410
Paradise Hills, NM:	$411
New Mexico:	$835
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Roswell is $737 per year, which is $273 more than the national average and $98 less than New Mexico's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Roswell:

In Taos, NM, crime costs $1,410 per person, which is $673 more than in Roswell.
In Paradise Hills, NM, crime costs $411 per person, which is $326 less than in Roswell

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Roswell for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Roswell	Cost per Roswell Resident
Murder	$18.9 million	$328
Rape/Sexual Assault	$3.12 million	$54
Robbery	$1.09 million	$19
Assault	$5.83 million	$101
Kidnapping	$813,333	$14
Vehicle Theft	$1.42 million	$25
Burglary	$2.27 million	$39
Theft	$4.08 million	$71
Arson	$159,200	$3
Vandalism	$3.20 million	$55
Animal Cruelty	$20,794	$0
Drug Crimes	$1.28 million	$22
Identity Theft	$308,878	$5
Total Cost of Crime	$42,534,753	$737

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Roswell, NM

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Roswell totals $142,227,367 ($2,464 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $184,762,120 ($3,200 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the city holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Roswell has 17, do the same, and of Roswell's 57,731 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Roswell, NM at ISP Reports.

Roswell Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Roswell residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	3.517
Robbery	0.5990
Rape	0.8912
Murder	0.1746
Total Violent Crime	5.182 (D)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	13.65
Vehicle Theft	1.585
Burglary	4.344
Arson	0.1142
Total Property Crime	19.69 (D+)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.2324
Drug Crimes	3.000
Vandalism	7.760
Identity Theft	0.6913
Animal Cruelty	0.0487
Total "Other" Rate	11.73 (D+)

Individual Roswell Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of crime in Roswell is lower. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to Roswell.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Midway, NM	D+	D+	C-
Dexter, NM	C	D+	C+
Picacho, NM	F	D-	D-
Hondo, NM	D-	D-	D-
San Patricio, NM	D-	D-	D-
Glencoe, NM	D-	D-	D-
Fort Stanton, NM	D	D-	D
Crossroads, NM	F	F	D
Ruidoso Downs, NM	D	D-	D+
Alto, NM	C+	D+	B-

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Roswell is higher versus other cities of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Bensalem, PA	B-	B-	B-
Yucaipa, CA	C	C-	C-
Mason, OH	A-	A	A
Forney, TX	B-	B	B
DeSoto, TX	D	D-	D-
Commerce City, CO	D	D	D
Berwyn, IL	C	C	C
Apple Valley, MN	B-	A	A
Wilson, NC	D	D	D
Weymouth Town, MA	B+	B	B

Considering only the crime rate, Roswell is safer than the New Mexico state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Roswell, NM average SchoolGrade of C, with 37% actual proficiency versus 30% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See Roswell schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.